Troubled Waters
by ConverseSweetheart
Summary: Annabeth Chase's life is perfect. But with trouble bubbling under the surface, perfection seems harder to obtain. Plus there is the school's nerd, Percy Jackson, who she shouldn't feel so strongly about.


**_AN: This is my first story, please don't be too harsh. Also, sorry this is a little short. My apologies._****_  
><em>****_Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Heroes of Olympus.  
><em>**

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><p><em><strong>December 21th, 2002<strong>_

The small group of four huddle in the small closet, where their tiny forms were pressed tightly together. The smallest two were sitting on the laps of the older two, their bodies cuddling into the chests of the others.

"Percy," the youngest of the four asked, her voice softer than a whisper as she glanced up at the older male.

Nine year old Percy glanced down at the young girl sitting in his lap. "When are mommy and daddy coming back?"

Such an innocent question that held so much weight.

Their parents had went missing on September 19th, 1999, along with the other eleven co-owners of Olympian Corporation. Of course, the other eleven co-owners went missing, not their spouses. Unlike their own mother and father. And, unlike the other eleven, his parents failed to turn up on September 19th, 2000-a full year after they went missing. No, his parents were still missing. Percy wasn't going to voice his thoughts about that fact he believed they were dead. If they were alive, they would have shown up by now. The police were forced to give up the search recently, as recent news reports told.

But he wouldn't tell the small girl that, the one who, undoubtedly was staring up at him with hope shining in her green eyes. Percy didn't need to see them to know that it was there, the feeling that fleeing his own body.

"Soon," Percy forced a smile on his lips, thanking the gods that the closet was dark because no one saw the sorrow that filled his eyes.

_**Percy Jackson**_

_**September 8th, **_

I kept my gaze down as I twirled the pen in through my fingers. So far, no one had noted my form as if I was suddenly nonexistent. Which would have been a better beginning than the actual start of my day. But, of course, the Fates were out to kill me with harsh words and rough punches from my peers as Mr. Erkison's voice rang through the air.

"Mr. Jackson," the words caused my body to tighten as I raised my head to my oblivious teacher.

"Yes?" I was tense as I heard groans and snickers from peers behind me. Gods, why did my seat have to be in the front? Why did my teacher insist on cursing me so?

"Can you please tell me the answer?" he clicked the lid of the marker twice as his eyes fell upon me, waiting for me to spout the answer out.

Part of me wanted to say the wrong thing, tell the wrong answer so my peers wouldn't have the excuse of taunting my intellectual skills like they usually do. But then that meant they were able to call me other things as if I _wasn't _a straight A student.

"45.345x squared," I answered like a computer as the numbers fell into place inside my skull. Hours and hours of studying finally allowed me to be able to keep the dyslexia and ADHD under control.

"Correct, Mr. Jackson," Erkison smiled as he scribbled the answer on the board.

"Nerd," Luke Castian's voice rang through the air as several snickers followed. I felt something hit the back of my head, but forced my gaze to remain forward.

_Don't give them the satisfaction. _But there was a part of me that wanted to...

The bell rang, like a siren releasing Hell. People stood as bags slammed into the back of my head and taunts echoed through my skull.

I saw Luke smirk at my predicament as he threw his arm around Annabeth Chase.

Gorgeous, smart blonde with a lean, slender figure. She was captain of Goode's soccer team and co-captain for our track team. She was popular, with a steady smile and wise gray eyes getting her everything she could ever want.

I sighed, throwing my bag over my shoulder and pushing my glasses up my nose. She would never pay attention to the school's loser now would she? After all, who wants to hang, let alone date, the friendless genius?

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><p><em><strong>Annabeth Chase<strong>_

There was ticking and words drowned out by distant giggling. I felt eyes watch my form as my pencil scribble nonsense on lined paper. A heart followed by the looping of an 'A' with a 'C' cushioned beside it. The following 'L' was quick, the pencil barely grazing the page as the swirled 'C' followed.

I couldn't believe I was doing this.

Yet I had no intention of stopping.

Blush graced my face as the page was torn to pieces, each tattered part fluttering to the damaged desk as if nothing had been written. As if my best friend's initials weren't scrawled beside mine. As if I didn't have a crush on my best friend for gods know how long.

Because it wasn't supposed to happen that way. I wasn't supposed to fall for my best friend. I wasn't supposed to be in love with the gorgeous senior blonde that I hung out with every day. I wasn't suppose to get all _cheerleader-puppy dog _on him.

I am _Annabeth Chase_ and I just don't do that...Or, at least, I _shouldn't. _

"What was that?" Thalia Grace's voice shook me out of my love-provoked stupor. Pale fingers ran themselves through her shoulder hair as her electric eyes narrowed at the mess.

"Failed building plans," the lie came easy as I forced my lips to form a sad smile. "Can't seem to get the proper dimension for the..." the details stopped as my eyes caught sight of Thalia's blank face and cocked eyebrow.

"Okay," Thalia nodded as if anything I had said made sense. As if she understood the details I had just given her.

My stomach twisted as I turned back to the red notebook and placed my pencil on the blank page. Lying to your best friend shouldn't be easy. It shouldn't even be an option, but...

The bell rang and my body moved on its own accord. I shoved the notebook into the leather messanger bag and grabbed the evidence that lay on the wooden surface. There was toss followed by a flawless smile that fell on my lips. Thalia fell in step beside me, her mouth moving but the words were tuned out as a slender arm placed itself around my shoulder.

"Hey Annie," Luke Castian's voice rang like the words of the gods through my skull as I breathed in the warming scent he gave off.

"Hey Luke," I could hear the whimsical tone in my voice as I tried to all but melt in his arms.

"He gets to call you Annie, but I don't?" Thalia asked, her voice giving off a hurt tone but her lips were smiling. But, for a second, I could see a flash of pain in her eyes.

_That's all in my head, _I shook it off. _Thals knows that Annie is _Luke's _name for me._

"Yep," I popped the 'P' as I flashed Thalia my award-winning smile.

She rolled her eyes, mumbling something that I could not quite catch. Before a question could roll off my lips, Luke whisked me away with the crowed.

"So, Annie," he leaned in close. The intoxicating smell of his cologne caused my knees to weaken and it took all my willpower not to sigh aloud. "Let's say you come over to my place and we-"

Before he could finish the phrase, a black hair boy slammed into Luke's side, snickering filling my ears.

Curses left Luke's lips as the body of Percy Jackson tumbled onto the tiled floor of the hall. His glasses slipping off his face as his advanced placement biology book slid and slammed into the wall.

A cruel laugh left Luke's lips as he glanced down at the school's nerd. Others around us laughed, eyes staring at the boy on the ground.

_Oh gods...Oh gods..._

Pity and guilt twisted in my stomach as I forced laughter to bubble of my throat as my voice joined the laughter. Luke pulled me closer, his head nuzzling against mine as his lips twisted into a grin.

"For someone who is a genius," Luke's foot slammed down on Percy's glasses as my blood froze. Percy's body tensed as his spectacles were crushed under Luke's shoe. The crunch of glass causing another wave of guilt to fill me.

_Oh gods...oh gods, oh gods._

"You sure can't seem to stand on your feet."

Percy said nothing as he reached for his textbook, eyes casted downwards.

"Leave him alone Luke Castellan!" Silena Beauregard's voice rang in the air at the girl ran towards us. Dark hair, eyes the color of a tropical sea, tanned skin, and a smile that could make even Hades's smile-the girl was easily the prettiest girl junior (my grade) and was probably the prettiest girl in the entire school. But her tone was harsh, something that was foreign to me as she knelt down beside Percy.

"You better leave now Luke before I report you." She snapped, glaring up at him with narrowed eyes. Her mouth opened as her sight caught me before a disapproving look followed. She simply shook her head as Luke pulled me away.

"Goody-Goody Beauregard to the rescue," Luke mumbled. "Jackson's lucky she showed up."

I didn't voice my opinion on the fact that I thought Silena was right.

"So," I rocked back and forth on my heels as I glanced up at him. "What were you saying earlier?"

"Huh?" Luke glanced down at me, tearing his gaze away from Kelli Jones. "Oh that? It was nothing." He flashed me a smile.

I tried to hide the fact I had deflated like a balloon and shot a smile back. After all, not like I had expect anything that _I _wanted to happen. After all, he was probably inviting me over so I could help him with his homework.

_Yeah, that's it._

I walked into the our comfortable penthouse, my keys jingling from my grasp as I kicked the door closed.

"I'M HOME!" I called, kicking off my shoes. There was no response, not like I was truly expecting one back. After all, the house was usually only held me till the late hours of the evening when my mom finally left her office.

I sighed, tossing my bag into my room before running over and collapsing on the leather couch. My eyes wandered to the large painting that hung above me. My mother and I looked nearly identical in our matching business attire, curled blonde hair, and hard gray eyes. We stared seriously ahead, as if we were the most powerful people on Earth. My mother _is _one of the most powerful people on Earth. She's one of the eleven co-owners of Olympian Corporation. There used to be twelve but...

After my mother and the others were all kidnapped, Poseidon and his wife never showed up with the others. All of whom were found in an abandoned factory with no recollection of what happened the time they were gone. Poseidon's company was bought by a different man, who didn't show up to any meetings and did everything over the phone and never in person. It irritated my mother to no end, seeing as she would get left with going through him to get parts shipped for her latest creations.

My mother was an architect. The greatest in the world, to be exact. She's won awards and been recognized for her genius in that field.

Too bad she was never home to talk to her daughter.

Though I had to admit, living in New York was a far better than living in California with my dad and the stepmonster.

Hands shook as I reached for the TV remote, my mood darkening significantly at the thought of my father and the stepwitch. Fiddling with channels for a moment, I finally settled on a documentary dedicated to the life of Marilyn Monroe. Perhaps history will brighten my mood.


End file.
